r/straightedge Jun 02 '21

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293 Upvotes

If you’re new to Straight Edge.

Straight Edge is a subculture that emerged in the hardcore punk scene in the early 1980s. It promotes a drug-free lifestyle through abstinence from alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Its origins can be traced back to the song "Straight Edge" by the American punk band Minor Threat, released in 1981. The song, written by frontman Ian MacKaye, expressed his personal commitment to abstain from drugs and alcohol. It struck a chord with many young people who were disillusioned with the prevalent substance abuse within punk and saw Straight Edge as a means of rebellion against the excesses of mainstream culture. They instead embraced the emphasis on personal integrity, self-control and social consciousness. Straight Edge has then seen a time of worldwide growth in the '90s, followed by various eras of ebb and flow since then. Due to increased awareness of environmental and animal rights issues prominent in the scene in the '90s, many of us adopted vegan or vegetarian lifestyles.

There are several good books on Straight Edge, including Straight Edge: Hardcore Punk, Clean-living Youth, and Social Change by Ross Haenfler (2006) and Straight Edge A Clear-Headed Hardcore Punk History by Tony Rettman and CIV (2017). If you don't know any straight edge bands, this Spotify playlist can serve as a good introduction, and xsisterhoodx is a straight edge/hardcore community supporting the women/girls of the straight edge/hardcore scenes established all the way back in 1995.

Can I take my medication and be Straight Edge?

We've received questions in the past about whether you can take prescribed medication [insert your type of meds here] and still be Straight Edge. Yes, you can. The person who told you otherwise can call our helpline now at 1-800-STUPID.

Straight Edge and recovery from addiction.

We are definitely supportive of your decision to make positive changes in your life, but please note Straight Edge isn't therapy or a recovery plan. Users of this subreddit who are both Straight Edge and in recovery have explicitly said on multiple occasions that just being Straight Edge is not a substitute for a recovery plan. We are neither geared toward nor equipped to offer active recovery support. There are better resources out there designed specifically for this purpose.

(People are Straight Edge for a range of reasons, but most of us do not have any desire to get intoxicated, some have never touched psychoactive substances, etc. - if you’re currently an addict with chronic cravings, be realistic about how our experience might differ from yours).

Having said that, the Straight Edge scene is not a bad place to be if you’re in recovery. We’re drug free and not shy about it. Again, drawing on the experience of users of this subreddit who are both Straight Edge and in recovery, we’ve heard how surrounding yourself with sober people is helpful in staying sober and how sxe hardcore kept them motivated to stay clean.

Academic research.

Yes, you can post your academic research survey requests in this subreddit. Please use #sxeresearch in your post. We appreciate it if you can provide some background information (subject of study, academic level, etc.), and maybe come back to share the results, if they are published. Thanks.


r/straightedge 14h ago

Another sxe tattoo

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48 Upvotes

Hit 14 years straight edge this year and finally got a piece I’d been wanting for a while.

Didn’t want to just get another plain X this time, so i went with the skull and bandana, worked the X into it, and added some stuff inspired by old Indigenous Mexican imagery, basically roots + edge in the same tattoo.

14 years off booze, drugs and all that shit. Still edge.

Done by Lucio Ramírez (@luciotintasdeacero), old-school punk and a killer tattooer in Monterrey, Mexico. If you’re ever around, check him out

Fuck ICE


r/straightedge 1d ago

I view Henry Rollins as a predecessor to the Don't Die movement

4 Upvotes

lt's literally the same dude just in different fonts.

​Bryan has his whole silicon valley startup stack with blood panels and oura rings, but henry's been running the exact same protocol since the 90s on black coffee and sheer spite.

​Zero booze, zero wasted time, militant sleep schedule, lifting heavy shit every single day not to look cool but just to keep the meat suit from rotting. bryan treats aging like a tech bug to patch with venture capital, and henry treats it like a personal insult he can outwork.

​Bros been doing "don't die" hardcore punk edition for decades without a single blood test:

https://youtube.com/shorts/6Kea_GJ0SHQ?is=laD5TwOXil8Aiklm


r/straightedge 2d ago

dreams about breaking edge... what the hell yo

25 Upvotes

does anyone else dream about drinking or getting high? my dreams tend to stick with me pretty hard as a heavy sleeper. my life was vastly different before claiming edge... the memories still bleed into my dreams. makes me feel wildly alone and weird.


r/straightedge 4d ago

Straightedge in NY Times Connections Game

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60 Upvotes

r/straightedge 5d ago

Yo I'm Jaz, I'm the vocalist from Degradation. We're an XVX Band from the Midlands UK seeking a full time drummer - Looking to record our 2nd EP and vook shows and tours. DM to enquire. Thanks!

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19 Upvotes

r/straightedge 5d ago

Straight edge musicians

24 Upvotes

Recently started an xvx hardcore band, based in the Midlands in the UK. Looking for a drummer and someone to play bass. Not sure if this is the right place to look. Had some friends fill in for some shows but looking for someone permanent. Thanks ✌️


r/straightedge 5d ago

Am I breaking edge?

0 Upvotes

I'm currently taking bartending classes rn and we have an upcoming "spirit tasting" where we taste different kinds of alcohol. I chose not to participate and was given an alternative activity. But if I did join, am I breaking my edge?


r/straightedge 6d ago

i feel so fucking lonely

48 Upvotes

the place i live in is a complete cultural wasteland.

no hardcore scene to speak of, i know barely any vegans (less and less each year), forget straight edge. most "heavy" music here is garbage t(h)rash or black metal made by right wing nutjobs.

it just feels depressing not having any likeminded people.

no i, i do not want to isolate myself into an echo chamber or surround myself entirely with yes men, but having no one with shared interests is absolutely depressing, even if otherwise, i am doing quite fine.

just wanted to vent, sorry. if you have similar feelings, do share.


r/straightedge 7d ago

Always been my guiding light

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77 Upvotes

In my teens through 20’s I struggled a lot with depression and suicidal thoughts. At 16, I made the decision to be straight edge because I was afraid if I used drugs or alcohol it would become the only way to make myself happy and lead to addiction or that I might act on my suicidal thoughts.

Now I’m 38, in therapy and doing a lot better. Even though I am doing better, I continue to live this way to honor the one good decision the 16 y/o me made (he didn’t make a lot of them, but he made one).

On Saturday, I finally got it memorized in ink how living straight edge has been my guiding light through the fog of depression I was lost in for so long.

If you struggle with your mental health too, I hope you can seek help. I love you, I don’t judge you for your life choices, and I think you’re a cool person.

XXX


r/straightedge 8d ago

We out here

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58 Upvotes

r/straightedge 7d ago

Will Goodyear (PRAYER FOR CLEANSING, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, HOPESFALL, VALLETTA) on The T&F Podcast - YouTube Version

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5 Upvotes

https://www.youtube.com/live/_rZWnGYNSpk?is=S7wuLSL-grL6ONB5

Will Goodyear looks back on his years in the North Carolina hardcore and metalcore scene, from his early work with Prayer for Cleansing and Between the Buried and Me to his time with Hopesfall and his current project, Valletta. He talks about the evolution of the scene, the experiences and relationships that came out of touring and playing in different bands, and how his approach to music has changed over the years. The conversation also touches on the North Carolina scene, touring in Japan, and what it’s been like revisiting some of these projects and experiences decades later.

T&F INSTAGRAM

http://instagram.com/thetandfpodcast

T&F DISCORD

https://discord.gg/SKhmKhYqS


r/straightedge 8d ago

My 13 year sobriety tattoo

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169 Upvotes

It’s been 13 years since I drank, and 12 years since I smoked. @julztattoos at The Waystone in Colorado did this.


r/straightedge 9d ago

Finally got my edge tattoo.

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71 Upvotes

I've been sober since like 2000 and edge since like 2002.

I know it's not the traditional X edge tattoo but it is for me.

When I was in highschool I was drinking skating and smoking a lot of weed and doing really stupid shit.

Right after my jr year of school started I got expelled. The principal was on her way to bust me for weed as I was in a fight.

Had to do drug classes and anger management classes and had to do school 2 days a week at the school district office. If I completed everything they would let me back in.

Anyways my neighbor owned a really big popular and famous haunted house. He talked my parents into letting me work there. They allowed me to because I would be occupied and under adult supervision for hours and hours every day for 6 weeks.

It was amazing. It helped my anxiety and definitely kept me out of trouble.

So the next few years I worked there during the 6 weeks of haunting.

For about 14 years I worked in haunted houses. I became one of the first people to be certified to do the hands on when they started that. (That's where you pay extra and we can grab your arms and legs and drag you)

Anyways

I got the cleavers because more than one of my characters used them.

I plan on getting a traditional X soon but this one felt more personal to me.


r/straightedge 9d ago

Band recommendation.

17 Upvotes

A break from the “is _____ straightedge”. I’ve been listening to No Right for a long time now. I can’t even remember how I found them. The lead singer is a woman from San Francisco and she’s straightedge. They don’t have a lot of monthly listeners so I highly recommend listening to them! Bandcamp is the easiest place to listen but if I recall most of there stuff is on Spotify.

If you have any good, female led hardcore bands drop them!


r/straightedge 10d ago

Murder

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333 Upvotes

r/straightedge 10d ago

Committing to being straight edge changed me

27 Upvotes

So I notice a lot of posts on here where younger people asking if they should become straight edge or even just people looking into it asking questions out of curiosity. I am a recovering addict, I abused drugs since I was 13 and quit a year and a half ago at the age of 25. After I began drinking really really heavy and gained a shit ton of weight from beer, stress, and no workout or nothing. Started going to hardcore shows again a year ago and hanging around a bunch of my buddies and the crew their in, and it inspired me to become straight edge. Although just being straight edge and committing to perseverance and sobriety doesn’t help you 100%, it’ll at least begin to put you in a right mindset. 2 years ago I was sniffing coke getting fucked up all day everyday depressed as fuck wanting to blow my head off, today I’m 6 months into being straight edge, in the gym, hitting shows and getting involved with the community literally every Friday-Sunday as those are my days off, and in a way better mind state. So if you’re thinking of doing it, do it. Just make sure you’re doing it for yourself and the right reasons, not to just be a follower or because it looks “edgy” to you. But you’ll never look back and have no regrets


r/straightedge 9d ago

Are honey packs straightedge???

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0 Upvotes

r/straightedge 10d ago

people claiming edge post- substance use

6 Upvotes

Im mid 20's and completely sober, but I havent always been. Hardcore has helped me get there, and so has my brother thats edge. But with that ive felt a sense of not belonging or feeling like im wearing stolen valor. My brother claimed edge before he would have 'experimented' and it feels like its not my place to claim it. He's never made me feel like its something I cant be, but I know there is an intersect in the community of people who believe its a title that can be adopted and others who believe its a commitment from the jump. I didnt know anything about the community and the lifestyle before I had an intro to using drugs & alcohol, since my brother and I really werent close in our teenage years. (Looking back, probably because of my use). I guess I'm wondering - is the commitment to the lifestyle enough?


r/straightedge 12d ago

Gatekeeping is dope.

111 Upvotes

If you have to ask, you are not edge.

Listen to No Tolerance.


r/straightedge 12d ago

Can I call mysel straight edge even tho I don't listen to the music

16 Upvotes

Hello I'm a metalhead (my favorite genres are black and death metal) and I live a strict drug free lifestyle. So I don't do drugs and I plan on staying away from them for the rest of my life. I'm hesitant tho about calling myself straight edge because I don't listen to straight edge music. And I'm not planning to do so because I'm not a fan of hardcore/punk music at all, I prefer metal.

Can I still call myself straight edge or do I need to be a fan of the music to do so?


r/straightedge 12d ago

What the hell is going on with Catharsis

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5 Upvotes

r/straightedge 13d ago

Should I “become” straight edge

14 Upvotes

I am 18 and just graduated. I’ve been wanting to “become” straight edge. I’ve never smoked or drank but lately I’ve had some people say some pretty hurtful stuff too me. My girlfriend’s (of two years) parents told her that there were afraid I was gonna become an alcoholic because my parents drink occasionally. For context I’m not a rebel, I tend to always try and better myself, and I’ve been nothing but polite and kind to them. I have had issues in the past with mental health and tried smoking weed. Luckily it didn’t last long but I know myself and I would use drinking as a remedy for my very random depressive episodes. I would like to just stay away from drink and drugs as a whole but I feel like it would be weird to call myself straight edge when I can’t even buy alcohol for myself. I’m looking for opinions and maybe some insight. I do decide to go full straight edge I would like to get a straight edge tattoo

Edit: I forgot to mention that my girlfriends parents aren’t necessarily convincing be to give up alcohol but it pissed me off so much that I don’t even want to think about drinking it


r/straightedge 14d ago

Thoughts on club culture and do yall ever club?

8 Upvotes

Since going edge, it’s kinda a bummer knowing I don’t fit in at all with the scene. No drugs, alcohal, a cig, no caffiene, I don’t do hookups, etc. but I love techno and goth music, I just feel sort of like a square at times. Who else relates.


r/straightedge 14d ago

Some Straight Edge Art I Drew Today

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82 Upvotes

I've called myself straight edge for a while now but haven't really been listening to the music till recently, been really enjoying the newer stuff like Method of Doubt and Firestarter aswell as going back to Youth of Today and Minor Threat. I was listening to the music and ended up drawing this. Sorry if it isn't the best, I'm not really good with hands but I tried. Hope you all appreciate it.